Brandee Lake on Royal Caribbean’s 9-month Ultimate World Cruise.Photo:Courtesy Brandee Lake
Courtesy Brandee Lake
Brandee Lakeand the more than 600 other passengers who signed up for the entirety of Royal Caribbean’s 9-monthUltimate World Cruisewill see a whopping 60 countries — but three that were initially on the itinerary were scrapped due to ongoing political conflicts.
“The itinerary has changed a bit a couple of times. Because when we first signed up,Russia and Ukrainewere on it,” Lake, a podcaster who has beendocumenting the cruiseonTikToksince its departure from Miami on Dec. 10, tells PEOPLE.
And now? “Definitely not,” she adds. “Israel was also on[the itinerary], and now it’s not.”
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Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas.JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP via Getty
On Wednesday, Royal Caribbean issued a statement afterrumors began to swirl on board that the cruise would be cut shortdue to the current unrest in the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
“The rumor that I’ve been hearing is that Royal Caribbean is thinking of ending the World Cruise in Los Angeles due to problems in the Middle East and us not being able to go through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal,” she says in the video.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Royal Caribbean confirmed it will continue its journey as planned.
“This adventure will complete its first segment in February, and we can’t wait to kick off the next part of the journey shortly after and begin exploring Asia," the statement says in part.
Brandee Lake on Royal Caribbean’s 9-month Ultimate World Cruise.Courtesy Brandee Lake
In the first 30 days of the nine-month voyage, passengers onboard Royal Caribbean’sSerenade of the Seashad already visited 10 countries or territories and multiple World Wonders, including Chichén Itzá in Mexico, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil and Iguazu Falls in Argentina.
The Ultimate World Cruise is planned to continue until September 2024 andwill span all seven continents. Guests recently got a glimpse of Antarctica, aftertraversing the treacherous Drake Passage. Currently, theSerenade of the Seasis trekking up the West Coast of South America, with multiple planned stops in Chile.
Despite what many who have been followingthose posting about the cruiseon social media may think, there is little drama among the passengers, according to Lake.
“Honestly, and I’m not just saying this, we all are a group. It’s funny to me that people think that we’re all so separate,” theBrannon Filesco-host tells PEOPLE.
Asked what the best parts of living on a cruise ship have been so far, Lake replies, “I feel like it’s a mobile hotel.”
“You get to just go to sleep and wake up in a new place and you didn’t have to pack up all your stuff, make it to the airport, get ready. You have whatever you have and it just comes with you,” she says.
And the most challenging part? “Balancing my eating. This first month hasfelt kind of like vacation, and now I feel like it’s starting to settle into this is home,” Lake explains. “And I think for me, it’s even more portion control because I’m gluten intolerant.”
“I have some dietary restrictions, which stop me from going completely off the rails, but yet, still … the desserts!” she adds.
source: people.com
